Lee County offering shelter, transportation Wednesday ahead of Nicole

Lee County will offer shelter and transportation to various shelters on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Nicole approaches.

Since many residents live in damaged homes after Hurricane Ian, or are staying in RVs or tents on their property, the following shelter options will be available beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday and both are pet-friendly:

• North Fort Myers Recreation Center, 2000 Recreation Park Way, North Fort Myers
• Estero Recreation Center, 9200 Corkscrew Road, Estero

Do not go to those locations for shelter on Tuesday, as they are being used for the election.

These shelters are options, particularly for island residents who were impacted by Ian. No evacuation orders are in place. These shelters are to boost safety and comfort for residents whose homes were damaged.

For those who need help getting to shelters ahead of Nicole, the county will activate the Emergency Transportation Plan, which uses LeeTran. People can go to any of the following designated LeeTran transfer locations beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday for a ride to a shelter. The service is free:

• Coconut Point Mall – 23106 Fashion Drive
• Constitution Boulevard and U.S. 41
• Fort Myers Beach Park & Ride – 11101 Summerlin Park Drive
• Sanibel Tanger Outlets – 20350 Summerlin Road
• Edison Mall – 4125 Cleveland Ave.
• Rosa Parks Transportation Center – 2250 Widman Way
• Publix at Homestead Shopping Plaza – 1324 Homestead Road N.
• Publix at Shoppes at North Cape – 2481 Del Prado Blvd. N.
• Cape Coral Transfer Center – 820 SE 47th Ter.
• Merchants Crossing – 15201 N. Cleveland Ave.

If additional information is needed, call United Way’s Storm Hotline at 211 for help, or call the LeeTran Customer Service at (239) 533- 8726 or LeeTran Passport Services at (239) 533-0300.